Sacred Books of the East eBook

of all physicians. He who is invoked by invocations
and libations, may I pay off that Rudra with my hymns
of praise. Let not him who is kind-hearted, who
readily hears our call, the tawny, with beautiful
cheeks, deliver us to this wrath! The manly hero
with the Maruts has gladdened me, the suppliant, with
more vigorous health. May I without mischief find
shade, as if from sunshine, may I gain the favor of
Rudra! O Rudra, where is thy softly stroking
hand which cures and relieves? Thou, the remover
of all heaven-sent mischief, wilt thou, O strong hero,
bear with me? I send forth a great, great hymn
of praise to the bright tawny bull. Let me reverence
the fiery god with prostrations; we celebrate the flaring
name of Rudra. He, the fierce god, with strong
limbs, assuming many forms, the tawny Rudra, decked
himself with brilliant golden ornaments. From
Rudra, who is lord of this wide world, divine power
will never depart. Worthily thou bearest arrows
and bow, worthily, O worshipful, the golden, variegated
chain; worthily thou cuttest every fiend here to pieces,
for there is nothing indeed stronger than thou, O Rudra.
Praise him, the famous, sitting in his chariot, the
youthful, who is fierce and attacks like a terrible
lion. And when thou hast been praised, O Rudra,
be gracious to him who magnifies thee, and let thy
armies mow down others than us! O Rudra, a boy
indeed makes obeisance to his father who comes to
greet him: I praise the lord of brave men, the
giver of many gifts, and thou, when thou hast been
praised, wilt give us thy medicines. O Maruts,
those pure medicines of yours, the most beneficent
and delightful, O heroes, those which Manu, our father,
chose, those I crave from Rudra, as health and wealth.
May the weapon of Rudra avoid us, may the great anger
of the flaring one pass us by. Unstring thy strong
bows for the sake of our liberal lords, O bounteous
Rudra, be gracious to our kith and kin. Thus,
O tawny and manly god, showing thyself, so as neither
to be angry nor to kill, be mindful of our invocations,
and, rich in brave sons, we shall magnify thee in the
congregation.

TO AGNI AND THE MARUTS

I implore Agni, the gracious, with salutations, may
he sit down here, and gather what we have made.
I offer him sacrifice as with racing chariots; may
I, turning to the right, accomplish this hymn to the
Maruts. Those who approached on their glorious
deer, on their easy chariots, the Rudras, the Maruts—­through
fear of you, ye terrible ones, the forests even bend
down, the earth shakes, and also the mountain cloud.
At your shouting, even the mountain cloud, grown large,
fears, and the ridge of heaven trembles. When
you play together, O Maruts, armed with spears, you
run together like waters. Like rich suitors the
Maruts have themselves adorned their bodies with golden
ornaments; more glorious for glory, and powerful on
their chariots, they have brought together splendors